


Paranoid

by bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid



Series: The World Needs More Mac and Riley [2]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Mac keeps too many secrets, Riley and Mac, Riley is a tech genius, Team as Family, bonding over shared rough childhoods
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 12:23:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13235673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid/pseuds/bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid
Summary: Mac thinks he is being watched and it is making him slightly paranoid. He eventually goes to Riley for her help. Riley gives him assistance as well as some much-needed advice.





	Paranoid

“Riley?” Mac pushed open the door to the war room and found Riley sprawled in one of the chairs, typing something furiously on her laptop. She always seemed to type like she was up against a timer. 

“Hey Mac” She greeted him with a smile.

“Thanks for coming in a bit early,” He said as he dropped into a seat next to her, holding out a cup of coffee.

“As long as there is coffee, I will come in as early as you want,” Riley said as she took the cup. After a sip, she added, “Within reason of course.”

“Good to know,” Mac said with a chuckle, taking a sip of his own coffee. A few moments of silence passed. He knew that Riley was waiting for him to start, but he suddenly found himself wanting to stall for as long as possible.

“So what’s up?” Riley asked finally. Mac set down his coffee and reached into his messenger bag. He pulled out his laptop and set it on the counter. “Oh, is your computer broken?” Riley asked, setting her's aside.

“No, I just...um…” Mac had always been terrible at asking for help and this time was no different.

“Spit it out Mac,” Riley said, her tone holding more amusement than annoyance. She had his computer in her hands but was obviously waiting for his explanation before she powered it up.

“I don’t know very much about computers,” Mac said in a huff and Riley raised her eyebrows when he didn’t continue.

“Yes, Mac, I know that. You used to take them apart as a kid instead of using them. This isn’t news.”

“Yeah...okay, so I don’t know anything about hacking, but someone could hack this right?” Mac said hesitantly, not wanting to let her know how paranoid he really felt.

“Yes, probably pretty easily. But you don’t keep any sensitive information on here do you?” Riley asked, her dark eyes looking at him intensely. He could tell that she was trying to figure out the whole situation.

“No, of course not,” Mac said

“Then what is going on?” She asked and Mac could tell that she was getting slightly annoyed. With a deep breath and a sigh, he told her.

“It was probably just me being paranoid, but one day I left my laptop open...and I thought for a second, that the camera light was on. I did a double take and the second time I looked it was gone, but I just can’t shake the feeling that someone was watching.” Mac shivered slightly at the memory. Riley had opened his laptop before he’d finished speaking and was typing away.

“You’re right” She paused in her typing and looked over at him. “Someone accessed your camera about a week ago, but only your camera.”

“Someone…” Mac said softly. He had a pretty good idea who that someone was.

“Murdoc?” Riley voiced his thoughts, her gaze scanning his face.

“He seems the most likely” Feeling suddenly restless, Mac stood up and started walking around the room.

“Have you used the computer since you thought you saw the light on?” Riley wasn’t looking at him, she was focused on whatever she was typing, but Mac knew that she could easily multi-task.

“No, I’ve been...um, too nervous to,” Mac admitted. Riley looked up at him, her face unreadable. Before he could ask about the look, she focused back on the computer and started talking.

“I can build up the security on your laptop and set up an alarm if someone tries to hack it again. But don’t worry, Murdoc is no match for my skills. He’s never getting on this laptop again.” Riley spoke with ferocity and Mac was infinitely grateful for her.

“Thanks, Riles,” He said and sank back into the chair, feeling slightly more relaxed.

“No problem, but Mac…” Riley was looking at him with practically the same expression that Jack did when he was about to lecture him. It was a combination of worry and exasperation.

“What is it?” Mac said with a sigh

“Murdoc...or whoever hacked this...hacked it a week ago.”

“Yes, but I already told you that I haven’t opened it since then,” Mac said, not seeing what she was getting at.

“That’s not my point. Why did it take you a week to bring to me? You should have called me the second it happened.” Riley said with a touch of hurt in her voice.

“I wasn’t even sure if I had seen what I thought I saw. I didn’t want to make a big deal over a reflection of light or something like that.” Mac said with a shrug, but Riley looked less than convinced.

“So why did you finally decide to bring it up?”

“Because…” Mac paused, thinking about how he’d spent the last week worried that he was being watched every second. “I was getting paranoid,” He said finally.

“I get it,” Riley said with a nod “In prison, there are cameras and guards and other inmates watching you every second of every day. That feeling of being watched constantly can really get to you.” Riley spoke with a surprising candor. Mac knew that she hated thinking about her time in prison, let alone talking about it. He was touched that she had decided to share that with him. Mac decided that he should respond to her honestly with some of his own.

“Murdoc gets to me more than I like. I’ve been in the sights of countless dangerous and deadly people. I’ve been put on hit lists and had bounties on my head. But nothing is more disturbing than knowing that Murdoc is out there. Knowing that he could’ve killed me several times over already but hasn’t because he enjoys messing with me. Knowing that he is just watching and waiting…” Mac cut off with a shake of his head.

“Hey, we’re not going to let him get to you again,” Riley said, putting a comforting hand on his arm. “Matty has beefed up security and you have all of us watching your back. If you feel like you’re being watched, it’s more likely to be a Phoenix agent then Murdoc.” Her voice sounded slightly too happy and her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, but Mac still appreciated what she was trying to do.

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” He said, but he was sure that his own smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“At the very least, I can make sure that he never gets into this laptop again,” Riley said, taking her hand off of Mac’s arm and moving it back to the keyboard. “I just need a couple of hours and you should be good to go.”

“Thank you, Riley,” Mac said, feeling a bit of relief at the knowledge that at least a part of his life would be secure.

“I do have a price Mac,” Riley said and Mac looked up at her in surprise.

“Oh, um, how much?” He stammered.

“Not that kind of price. My price for helping is that you tell the team what is going on. Matty, Jack, Bozer, and Cage deserve to know what Murdoc is up to.” Riley explained. Mac’s first instinct was to grab his laptop and run, but after a few seconds, he realized that there was no getting out of this. Riley wasn’t exactly one to let things go. Besides, she probably had a point, each member of the team had been threatened by Murdoc and they deserved to have all the information. 

“They hate it when I keep things from them,” Mac said with a grimace, thinking about how they would react when they found out that this had happened a week ago.

“Maybe you should stop then,” Mac let out a startled laugh at Riley’s words. She said it so matter-of-factly, like it was the simplest thing in the world.

“You know it’s not always that easy.” He said, thinking about the times when she had kept a secret from them.

“I know I am not always the most open book, but I’m starting to realize that keeping a secret that is eventually found out, is worse than just telling the secret to begin with. We work with spies Mac, they always figure it out.” Riley alternated between looking at him and the computer screen. Her attention was divided, but Mac knew that she was fully invested in the conversation.

“Yeah…” Mac gave another chuckle, “They do always figure out.”

“This team is a family, they will go to the ends of the world for any member,” Riley said. Mac couldn’t help it, his mind flashed back to Nikki, a member of his team who he’d been willing to go to the ends of the earth for. She may not have ended up to be a criminal, but she still had betrayed his trust and left. He also thought about his father, a member of his actual family who had abandoned him. Riley must’ve guessed where his mind had wandered because she stopped typing and turned her full attention to him. “Mac…”

“I know Riley, I know this team is family.”

“And neither of us has had the best luck with family, but this team is our second chance. But you have to trust them.”

“I do” Mac protested because it was true. He did trust every member of the team with his life.

“Well, you need to start ignoring your instinct to keep things from us and prove it,” Riley said and Mac couldn’t help but smile. She was definitely giving him a heavy dose of tough love right now.

“Okay,” He gave in, knowing that Riley was right. “I’ll tell them, Riles.”

“Then consider your laptop protected.” She said, but she hadn’t yet gone back to whatever she was doing on it. She looked at him expectantly and he looked back at her blankly.

“What?” He said finally

“I’m waiting for you to hold up your end of the bargain.”

“What now?”

“Yes now Mac,” She said and he stood up and pulled out his phone, startled into action by her stern tone. He headed out to call in the team and heard the keyboard start clicking behind him.

“Thanks, Riles,” He said before he left, hoping that she realized he was thanking her for more than the technical assistance.

“Anytime” She responded and he knew that she meant it.


End file.
